Duo headed off to kitchen duty the next morning in high spirits. Heero's mood, on the other hand, was curiously low . He ducked under his covers and opened his computer, but even as he added Duo's personnel intelligence to the data going to Noin, he kept thinking about the letter folded up in the pocket of the trousers hanging neatly on their peg.

Quatre wanted him back -- wanted him enough to pull strings and get that letter delivered here.

Heero could see the small, heart-shaped face turned up to him, alabaster cheeks streaked with tears. How many times had he faced those tears after some imagined transgression or slight? And yet it was so easy to bring to mind that golden hair, soft as silk and just as shiny...

but...

...honey-brown hair in a long, heavy braid, violet eyes brimming with laughter or a fierce, warrior spirit. Eyes that had gone stark and blank when, as almost a year ago to the day, Heero had ripped Duo's world apart.

He couldn't simply write back to Quatre that there was no chance. It was cowardly and, although he hated to admit it after his declaration of the night before, Heero wanted to see Quatre again, to make sure...of what?

"Damn!" he muttered, closing the computer. Why was it so hard to chart one's way through the emotional shoals of human interaction? Give him a mission, a goal, and nothing could stop him. But where to leave his heart? How to choose when it was pulled in different directions? These were areas for which no maps existed, no clear policy statements, no standard operating procedures. He was so out of his depth it wasn't funny.

Heero dressed and made it to class just as the last bell rang. He sat through his lectures, hearing none of them. At lunch, he looked eagerly for Duo and finally saw the boy pushing his way through the crowd, face alight with excitement. Even as Heero's spirits leapt to see him, his stomach knotted. What should he tell Duo? Anything? No. Better to simply take care of this matter quietly, discreetly.

"Motherlode," crowed Duo, yanking out the chair beside Heero at their usual table.

"You're not going to eat?"

"Hell, yeah, but listen..." He dragged the chair closer and draped an arm around Heero. "Inventory and supply records. Gundanium, optical sights, neural interface panels..."

"Holy ..." Heero turned his head sharply and was nose to nose with his grinning friend.

"They hid the stuff in domestic supplies for the school -- buried 'em in the archives of paid invoices, right alongside soap flakes, sheets, aspirin and forks. Who'd have thought GDE would be so useful?"

Duo kissed him lightly. Anyone looking on would see only two young men in love.

"Did you transfer the file?"

"Yeah. Here."

A hand nestled in his briefly. When it was withdrawn, Heero had a disk.

"Thanks, Duo. Jesus. That's the last piece of the puzzle. Gundanium? You sure?"

"Yep, fucking tons of it. I don't where they're getting the stuff, but there was enough recorded there to build three Gundams, swear to God."

Heero watched as Duo jumped back up and headed for the food line. Heero slipped the disk into his pocket and felt the crackle of Quatre's envelope beside it. Damnation.

Duo was back, walking with another boy, balancing his tray precariously with one hand, gesturing extravagantly with the other. That boy hurried on with a wistful look when Duo plunked down beside Heero. The American took a huge bite of pizza.

"I'll try to see Shermer this afternoon," said Heero, "and get this information off to Noin."

Duo nodded, eating as fast he could to get done before the bell.

"We'll make sure you're protected," Heero added, reluctantly voicing one of his unspoken fears.

Startled, the other boy looked over at him. Then the amethyst eyes dropped. Duo pushed away his tray. Heero noted with some amazement that every dish was clean.

"Damn straight," Duo said, and grinned cheerfully.

"Are you on bathrooms tonight?"

"I'm always on bathrooms," Duo groused. "Why not make me a real kept man and pay someone off to do it for me? Then we could, um, fool around more."

He winked elaborately.

"Shameless," muttered Heero, but he could feel the heat in his cheeks.

"Alas, yes," mourned Duo, eyes twinkling. "It's my lousy upbringing. What can ya do, eh?"

"Excuses, excuses."

There was something contagious about Duo's sunny humor. Problems crowded thick and fast in Heero's mind, but he grinned back, infected by the sense that everything would work out.

The bell shrilled. He and Duo rose as the dining room erupted into pandemonium, a hundred and fifty young men getting up and starting off to work.

"I'll take your tray," Duo offered. "You get your ass up to Shermer."

"Okay." Heero caught Duo's hand as the boy reached for the trays and pulled him close.

"Heero?"

Heero kissed him while prisoners streamed past, some hooting encouragement. When they finally moved apart, Duo stood staring at him, hand to his mouth.

"Dunno if I can get used to this," he managed, eyes very round.

"Get used to what?"

"Gettin' kissed in front of God and everyone."

"Does it bother you?"

"Hell, no!" And to demonstrate, Duo threw his arms around Heero and hugged him exuberantly.

For some reason, Heero's footsteps dragged all the way to the lab.

Part 11

Duo took the trays, upending them over the garbage bins and watching the paper dishes and plastic silverware tumble into the mess. Once empty, he dumped them on the conveyer belt that would take them to the dishwasher. Head in the clouds, his lips still throbbed from Heero's kiss. It was going to be hell trying to concentrate on boring data entry.

He caught a glimpse of something on the floor under Heero's chair as he headed out. Frowning, he detoured to scoop it up. It was a crumpled envelope, folded several times. Duo unfolded it and caught his breath.

All the pilots had learned to recognize each others' hand-writing during the war so they would never need to sign any of the notes or communiques they left each other. This sure looked like Quatre's. The envelope had obviously been opened. It would be simple just to have a peek inside.

No. Part of love was trust.

But Heero had said sweet things to Duo before, only to leave him without a backward glance at the merest beckoning of Quatre's royal finger.

FUCK!

Cramming the envelope into his pocket unread, Duo headed off to work.

As he'd predicted, concentrating on the endless stream of numbers proved nearly impossible. The envelope was burning a hole in his pocket. His fingers itched to open it, to read what was inside. What if it was a love letter? What if all this was a sham to ensure his cooperation?

"MAXWELL!"

Duo met his supervisor's glare and bent to his task. His heart ached, however, and when at last his basket was empty, he practically flew from the WF to the dining hall. There was no sign of Heero. He lingered at the door, but his handsome, enigmatic lover did not appear. Finally he got his tray and took his seat.

By the end of the dinner hour, Heero still hadn't appeared. So much for getting out of work and cuddling before lights-out. Duo went to their cell and, taking out the envelope, slipped it under Heero's blanket. Then, heavy-hearted, he went off to clean bathrooms.

There was still no Heero when Duo returned. He sat down on the edge of the bed, thinking about the envelope so close.

No. He would not look. He would wait and see what, if anything, Heero had to say about it.

An hour crept by. The lights flickered, a warning of impending lock-down. Duo got undressed and, history book in hand, crawled into his bunk, pulling the blanket over him, and tried to read in the last fifteen minutes of light. It was impossible, of course.

Just as he was beginning to worry, he heard rapid footsteps approaching and this time, it was Heero who dashed in just before the cell doors shut.

"Shit," Heero said. He had his computer, tossing it carelessly to the bed. "What are you doing up there?"

"Reading."

"You sick or something?" Heero's voice was joking. Duo managed a weak smile.

The lights clicked off. Duo lay in his bunk, listening as Heero undressed.

"Come on down here."

"In a minute." Duo's throat was tight. He heard Heero pull back the sheets and the quick intake of breath. He lowered his forehead to his arms and waited.

But Heero said nothing and, after awhile, Duo saw a faint gray patch on the ceiling -- the glow from Heero's computer. He rolled onto his back and closed his eyes, jaw clenching, hands behind his head going to fists. The silence rang around the soft tip-tip of the keys.

Then: "Did you read it, Duo?"

"No."

"I'm not going back to him."

"Is that what he wanted? You to come back?"

"Yes."

"Were you gonna tell me? About the letter?"

Another long silence. He heard Heero shift around and sigh.

"Probably not. I thought you might get upset. You are, aren't you?"

"Who me? Nah." Duo's jaw ached from clenching. "You gonna write him back?"

"No." Heero's voice was tired. "I saw Shermer tonight and got the information off to headquarters. They'll be transferring me out of here in a few days. I might as well tell Quatre in person."

"Yeah, I guess."

Duo was suddenly cold. He'd been trying not to think about the inevitable -- about Heero finishing his mission and moving on. "H-how much longer do you think I'll have to stay here? Noin wasn't real specific, ya know?"

Heero's face rose over the edge of the bunk, deep shadow pooling in his eyes. "Duo, I'm not going back to Quatre. I want to be with you. I don't know what kind of deal Noin can cut for you, but I'll stay right on it -- every day."

"You have no idea how much I want to believe you."

Heero effortlessly hoisted himself onto the bunk beside Duo. He swore as his foot met the discarded history book and a shoe.

"Baka," he muttered. Kicking them off the bunk, he pulled back the covers and slid in. His arms came around Duo and he swore again. "You're freezing!"

"I don't want you to go." It was easier to say in the dark.

"I don't want to leave you, either."

Duo could feel Heero's heartbeat against his own, just as fast. Nestled under the blankets together, in spite of everything, he began to relax, body melting into Heero's, finding all the perfect nooks and crannies.

"When I get out," he mumbled into Heero's hair, "you've gotta take the week off. We'll stay in bed the whole time."

The strong arms around him tightened. Heero laughed. "We'll starve."

"We'll call out for food, of course. Use your imagination."

"I am." Heero nuzzled his ear, fingers deftly unbraiding Duo's hair. "I'm imagining you kissing me. I'm imagining you wrapping me in all this silk and never letting go. I'm imagining..."

But Duo was way ahead of him.

Part 12

The next morning, Heero opened his eyes to find Duo stumbling about in search of shoes and shirt, braid still dripping water from the shower. Someone appeared in the doorway.

"I'm never getting up to fix your breakfast when we're out of here," Duo announced, finding the former under the bunk. "Hey, Mike. What do you want?"

"Uh -- Takashi's name is on the breakfast list. I was wonderin' if he wanted me to take the shift."

"Heero?"

"No," Heero said suddenly, throwing back his covers. "I'll do it."

Mike went off, disappointed, while Duo gaped. "You'll what?"

"It's a chance to be with you," Heero said simply. "I want to take advantage of it."

Duo's mouth opened and closed. His smile was radiant. "Better hurry then. We'll be late."

It was a surprisingly enjoyable hour scrambling about, preparing breakfast for a hundred and fifty hungry young men. Duo was clearly the focal point of the hilarity, cracking jokes one minute, commiserating with someone else the next. Heero found himself glowing with pride at the thought that the mercurial, popular boy wanted him!

They ate breakfast together, Heero picking bacon bits out of Duo's air. "What is it about you and throwing food?"

His response was a goofy grin and a kiss. "See you at lunch?"

"Hai."

"Then sayonara, babe." And Duo was gone, running from the hall. It seemed at that moment almost like a real school.

"I'm going to miss this," Heero thought suddenly. And a heartbeat later: "I really need to have my head examined."

Duo didn't show at lunch. Heero swallowed his disappointment. When Shermer gave him his transfer, he was going to have get the warden to lean on his people and give Duo a break.

At dinner, there was no sign of him, either. Heero waited, then went around, looking in all the bathrooms. He saw one of the other boys assigned to the task, but when he asked, the boy shook his head.

"Didn't see him at work, either. Mebbe he got into trouble or something." Disturbed, Heero returned to the cell. As he approached the door, he saw Charlie. The youth pushed away from the wall, hands in his pockets, watching Heero uneasily.

"What's up?"

"It's about your -- it's about Maxwell."

Heero felt a queer little lurch of his heart. "What about him?"

"I think he's been transferred out to the Geryon project. The guy who does my work for me is in GDE with Maxwell. He says he saw the transfer go into the file." Charlie looked earnestly at Heero. "I thought you should know. It's -- I'm sorry."

"When? When did all this happen?" Heero's blood ran cold. He felt as if he'd suddenly been plunged into a nightmare. "Was there a reason?"

"You gotta be kidding? Urqhart's been panting around him since Maxwell set foot in this place. You're a newbie. You have no idea how weird it is that Maxwell walked around free that long!"

"Duo's tough," Heero said through frozen lips. It almost sounded like he was trying to convince himself. "He'll handle Urqhart."

"I hope you're right," sighed Charlie. "If we can help..."

Heero looked sharply at him, startled, but saw only sincerity and sympathy.

"I know we gave him a hard time when you two started hangin' together, but -- he's in my biology class and, man -- he really saves that hour, ya know? He's hysterical."

"Yeah, I know. Thanks for telling me."

"Sure and like I said -- anything we can do..."

The lights flickered. Automatically, Heero went into the cell. Fear left an iron taste in his mouth.

Duo at Geryon. Marcel Anderson. Urqhart, a sadist obsessed.

Shermer should have stopped it and hadn't. That was ominous. There was a slim possibility Heero's transmission to the Preventers had been intercepted. He had to get to the warden. If Shermer was about to be deposed, Heero wanted to know about it before he looked up to see guards around him and guns in his face.

Sliding out his computer, Heero tapped into the central database. Sure enough, Duo's transfer papers were there, logged all neat and tidy. Reason for transfer: "Technical skills, mechanic, Geryon Project."

All the techs transferred to that unit were killed.

Heero, slightly sick to his stomach, hacked into the security division and unlocked the cell door and the gate to the cell block. Time to go.

There was one guard watching television in the staff lounge, the door ajar. Heero picked the lock on the locker room next door and exchanged his prison uniform for a dark grey security guard's. It was a little large, but it would do. There were no weapons, of course, and he had to hack back into the system to unlock the doors that lay ahead on his route.

He avoided the checkpoints by using the staff entrances at each wing. Card readers were the only security. Heero had been given the codes by Shermer at the beginning, just in case. It looked like now was "just in case."

Shermer slept onsite during the week. His apartment was just over his offices, overlooking the entire complex. Heero slipped easily into the Administrative Wing, avoiding cameras and thanking providence that this was a minimum security prison.

The residence floor was quietly elegant. On one side of the corridor, windows ran from floor to ceiling, giving a spectacular view of the stars rising above the stark horizon, a scattering of brilliant gems glowing above the distant, monochromatic hills.

Jeffrey Shermer was in his apartment, watching television. He turned white at the sudden appearance of Heero Yuy. Leaping to his feet, he bumped the side table, oversetting his drink.

"Yuy!"

"Duo," Heero snarled. "What happened?"

The man went paler yet. He fell back into his chair and gestured Heero toward one. Heero moved around to stand behind it, but didn't sit.

"I couldn't do anything. The order was signed by Stella Anderson herself. I told you I have only so much power."

"Then authorize me to leave the complex."

"No way! Even I don't have that authority! Not without a full review!""

"Duo's life is in danger. Someone decided to change his skill ranking to tech."

"I saw. I didn't know your friend had been a Gundam pilot, too."

"Techs assigned to that division die. The count is one hundred percent."

"Look. You get your transfer in two days, tops. You can do whatever you want then. Your friend will be alive for awhile. Urqhart likes to play with them and Maxwell doesn't look like he's the kind who goes down easily."

"K'so!"

"I'm SORRY, damn it! Do you think I enjoy this? This isn't a government project, you know. This isn't ultra-civilized UESN territory. This is corporate! The wild frontier. Rich men do what they damn well please up here and I have my family to think about!"

Heero took a deep breath. He looked up into the glass ceiling. Sprinkled among those stars, the stations spun in their orbits. Two dozen at last count, with three more under construction. Soon the skies of Mars would be as crowded as those of Earth.

"Do they know about my mission?"

"I don't think so. That was my thought, at first, but -- so far, nothing."

"Good."

Heero vaulted over the chair and before the startled warden could react, knocked him out with a right hook. Taking his identification card, Heero helped himself to some weapons. His mind ticked through the various plans Noin had shown him of the facility. The transportation division was east, at the edge of the complex. The warden had a zip-cart at his disposal. He'd take that to get there fast, but first. . .

Using the warden's own handcuffs, Heero secured him in the kitchen, gagging him, as well. Then, hand on his gun, the youth headed downstairs.

Part 13

The transport lurched, slowing. Bounced and battered from the rough ride, Duo stared glumly through the windows at the ragged lip of a crater they were fast approaching. The infamous Geryon Project, Duo thought -- end of the line for guys like him.

Beside him on the transport bench, Randall sat, long legs stretched out in front of him. From time to time, he'd grab Duo's braid and kiss him. Duo, wrists shackled to the bench, had tried biting the first time and gotten smacked around pretty good for his trouble. Now he just put up with it, silently promising the direst vengeance he could conceive.

"Almost there, cutie."

Duo's bloody lip curled, but he kept his tongue between his teeth. Best to keep one's eyes open, be alert to any opportunity. Let the idiot flap his mouth. Sticks and stones. . .

This was definitely not what he had expected. The move was so quick, so slick, that he was still dizzy. Urqhart had sent a batch of guards with Randall, all armed and ready to rumble. Duo was remotely flattered that Urqhart considered him that much trouble.

Urqhart. The image of the big, hairy brute made Duo sick to his stomach.

The transport swung around the crater. Buildings loomed, a handful of them. A door lifted as the transport came closer and the vehicle rolled in. The door shut with a sonorous clang. Red lights flashed as the pressure equalized.

Randall unlocked Duo from the bench and slid back warily. Guns lifted all around him.

"Wrists," Randall ordered.

Duo obeyed, trying not to flinch when new cuffs were snapped on. Surrounded by the guards, he scrambled awkwardly from the transport. They hustled him across the concrete and out of the garage. In a small room that smelled like disinfectant, they waited for the elevator and took it down. The doors opened again and Duo was prodded out. He stopped dead, mouth falling open.

The crater was covered by a couple of acres of plazsteel, the same material used to fabricate the temporary structures used by crews working on Mars' permanent domes. Yet it was not the massive roof, unexpected as it was, that held Duo mute in astonishment. Taking up most of the space beneath that roof was a mobile suit!

And what a suit! It was huge! Twice the height of Deathscythe, fifty feet from front to back, it was built in the shape of a spider. Massive legs lined with guns sprouted from a bulbous, heavily armored central body upon which, in turn, were mounted cannons and flame-throwers. It also looked capable of flight. This was a juggernaut. Noin's fears were entirely justified.

The guards hustled him across the crater floor. Duo couldn't help turning to stare at the Gundam, torn between horror and admiration. As a war machine, it was awesome! The thing sure looked scary and was packing enough firepower to take out a battalion of Leos. If Mars decided to declare independence, this would go a long way toward discouraging opposition.

There were more buildings ahead, clustered against the crater wall like fungus. He was hustled into one, past a reception area and down a corridor. There was another door and suddenly Duo realized they had gone from the building into the crater wall itself.

It was colder here, with the deep chill of stone making its way through the plazsteel-lined walls. Without much effort, this place could be transformed into a fort, Duo reckoned.

The corridor was lined with offices. His escorts stopped in front of one. With a sinking heart Duo saw the nameplate. Marcel Anderson.

Randall took the lead, springing to open the door. Duo walked in, head high and stopped when Randall's hand settled on his shoulder.

The last time Duo had seen the man behind the desk, Anderson had been face down on the sticky barroom floor, bleeding. Anderson remembered that, too. Malice glittered out of clear, blue eyes. He was tanned and blonde, with the best looks money could buy.

"Hello, Maxwell."

"Anderson? Nice to see you up and around again. That knee isn't givin' you trouble, is it?"

The executive's face darkened. Anger sparked back at Duo who remembered, belatedly, that the man owned him. He took a deep breath.

"You're gonna kill me, right? That's what happens to techs on this project, isn't it?"

"No one is dead. It's just more convenient if the world forgets about the losers. Now you're one of them -- Gundam boy."

"So. You found that out," sighed Duo, flexing his fingers, assessing the strength of the handcuffs.

"My mother is good friends with Relena Peacecraft."

"Yeah? I guess I shouldn't be surprised. You rich jerks stick together."

"Given the alternative?" Anderson's eyes, disdainful, drifted up and down Duo's body, his torn and rumpled clothing.

"So I get to work on that?" Duo nodded back in the direction of the crater.

"You like the idea, don't you?" Anderson's smile was without warmth. "Good, because yes, you will. But first, you're going to be spending some time with my foreman. He's been very patient and has promised not to incapacitate you. We're almost ready for the Arachna's first test run. I want Urqhart relaxed and ready to work."

"He's a freekin' psycho!"

"Yes, but he keeps you boys in line and he's completely devoted to me. He's assured me that I'll have plenty of opportunity to watch you suffer."

"Heh. We'll see who suffers!" Duo shrugged, but his heart was in his mouth.

"Get him out of here." Anderson's lip curled in contempt. Randall, hand on Duo's collar, dragged the furious young man from the office.

Deeper they went into this warren of tunnels. Duo's rage had time to cool and his thoughts, uncomfortably clear once more, spun around his predicament. Heero would know about his transfer soon enough, but what could the other pilot do? From the looks of it, Duo was here by special invitation of the boss. Even the warden couldn't do anything about that!

I'm screwed, Duo thought, and laughed hollowly, knowing it was probably going to be true.

A door was thrown open. It was a plain room, with a iron-framed bed and a locked cabinet. He saw a toilet without a seat and a sink. There were shackles on the bed. It took Duo a moment to figure out what he was looking at. His stomach rolled.

Randall stayed in the doorway, grinning. The guards were bunched up behind him, ready for anything.

"Have a good time," the older boy sneered and shut the door.

Duo sat down on the bed and put his bound and shaking hands between his knees. Steady. Think about this. Urqhart might try, but there was no way the pig would get what he wanted. No way! Duo was going to stay alive. He was going to get out of here and break the Andersons' secret wide open. If he just kept thinking that way, if he could just kept despair at bay. . .

The minutes crawled by. The shaking in Duo's hands transferred itself to his entire body.

Rattling, the door opened. Duo stood up, fists clenched in their shackles. It was Urqhart. The man had clearly dressed for the occasion, his brawny, muscular torso stuffed into a shiny shirt, open at the collar, chest hair bursting out. He leered at Duo who glowered back.

"Don't even think about it," the boy snarled.

Randall and Shi were behind their boss.

"You sure you don't want him collared?" Randall asked.

"Nope. I'm gonna break this colt by hand."

Damn it, but Urqhart was big! The man filled the small room. Muscles rippled beneath the clinging shirt. Duo stepped back and felt the edge of the bed behind his knees.

Grinning, Urqhart waved his two lackeys away and the door closed. Eyes on Duo, he pulled off his belt and cracked it against the floor. Duo jumped.

"Come here."

Duo shook his head. Lip curling, Urqhart stepped toward him.

The youth exploded into motion, leaping up, kicking out, catching Urqhart square in his diaphragm. Breath driven forcibly from his lungs, the big man turned purple and toppled to his knees. Duo darted in, snatched the belt and retreated onto the bed.

Cursing, the big man lumbered to his feet and lunged, only to get his own belt across the face. A ham-like fist snaked out with unexpected speed, grabbing it and jerking it out of Duo's grip.

The boy twisted aside in time to avoid a vicious snap of the leather. Heart pounding, he leapt over the iron headboard as Urqhart lunged at the bed. It shook with the impact, but Duo was already away, circling warily when Urqhart regained his balance.

"You little punk!"

Duo didn't quite manage to dodge the next blow. It left him gasping, a line of fire across his arm and shoulder. His white shirt showed fresh blood, but Duo didn't have time to worry about it. Another blow and another. The attack forced him back into the corner. Desperately, he fell, rolling toward Urqhart, nearly oversetting the startled man. Recovering at the last second, the brute kicked him in the head, then stepped down hard on Duo's lacerated shoulder. The boy saw stars.

When his brain cleared, he was being hauled to his feet, shirt ripping in Urqhart's grip. Dizzy, he kicked out hard, catching his tormenter square in the knee, eliciting a howl and sudden release. Down Duo went again, the universe greying. The belt came out of the confusion, leaving howling agony. He still managed to get away, rolling under the bed. It was lifted off, effortlessly.

"Damn, but you're a fighter," he heard through the roaring in his ears. "You give up?"

Duo shook his head weakly, licking blood from his lips.

"Okay." Pure pleasure oozed in Urqhart's voice. "Finally. A strong one. I'll let you alone for a while to think about it. The next time I come through that door, you got a choice. Another beating, or do what I tell you. Got that?"

"Yeah," Duo rasped. "Fuck you, too."

Urqhart's laughter rumbled through Duo's dimming consciousness. The door opened. He heard voices -- they were taking bets. Then the door closed and he was alone. Dragging himself up onto the bed, Duo curled up on the mattress, hissing in pain, and watched the room spin. Eventually, he slept.

Heero got to the transport garages without having to kill anyone, but in the mood he was in, a little killing would have felt good. Duo in Urqhart's power. It made him ill, thinking about it.

In the garage, he found a little armed cruiser. Two guards tried to stop him. He shot them each in the thigh and left them cursing.

The cruiser was fast. Duo took stock of its fuel level and speed restrictions. It listed a bit to the left, but he could compensate. Heero checked oxygen. Good there, too.

Feeling a little better, he aimed the ship east, where the heaviest deposits of calacamite could be found. It was the best place Heero could imagine to hide a munitions factory. Still, that covered a lot of area, and the sensors didn't work, thanks to calacimite's radiation. He was going to have rely partially on luck, something he hated.

Heero kept the ship low and close to what cover the land provided. It was mostly flat, broken only by craters of various sizes. Soon, however, he would come to the low mountains, the Geryons. Hopefully, the cover would be better there. Without sensors, this would be an old-fashioned duck hunt. Heero meant to be well into the hills by the time the inevitable pursuit arrived.

It came sooner than he thought. Four mid-range cruisers flashed over the horizon, passing to the west of him and disappearing. Heart banging, not sure whether he'd been seen, Heero hit the accelerator, opening it up, sending his ship blasting forward. The mountains filled his viewscreen. No sign of the cruisers returning.

He found a canyon and slipped in. Following it east, he came out in a shallow valley. It was empty of any human activity or structures. Heero cut between two narrow peaks, following the range south for a while.

Suddenly there was a road below him, and great heaps of broken red stone. Earthmovers were scattered around it. Heero followed the road, eye out for the cruisers.

The road snaked east, climbing back into the mountains. Down again to a broad, flat plain dominated by an enormous crater.

A crater oozing a faint glow into the night.

Heero brought his patrol ship down in a mountain's sheltering curve. There was a pressure suit and helmet in the back for emergencies. Heero put them on. The ship was equipped with a land-scoot, slow, but faster than running. He reckoned he was at least ten miles to the crater's edge.

He left the cruiser under a big overhang of rock. Giving another uneasy glance skyward, Heero maneuvered the land-scoot through the loading hatch and out onto the rocky ground. Revving up its little reactor, he headed for the crater.

Part 14

The pain was starting to fade. Duo lay on the filthy mattress, gingerly feeling various parts of himself -- damage assessment.

His ribs ached, his shoulder was pure misery, and he was slightly concussed, but nothing was broken. Angry welts covered his back and shoulders, but that was about it. Nothing serious, Duo thought in relief.

How soon before Urqhart returned? Maybe he should just give in, get it over with. Duo figured he might get to work on the Gundam sooner, maybe find a way to escape.

"Ha!" he croaked. Carefully, he sat up. The dizziness was brief. He got to his feet and went to the door. Laying his ear against it, he listened, but heard nothing. He tried the cabinet doors, but they were securely locked. Morosely, he returned to the bed.

Another hour passed, perhaps two. The expected rattle at the door came. Dry-mouthed, every muscle tightening painfully, Duo sat up.

"Feelin' more cooperative?"

Urqhart stood in the doorway, grinning. He had the belt again. Duo shivered and shook his head. Aching limbs protested as he gathered himself up, prepared for the ultimately futile task of defending himself.

It was worse this time. He was slower, head still muzzy from getting kicked. Even so, he managed to evade the long strip of leather for several minutes. Then Urqhart got a lucky hit, the belt wrapping around Duo's ankle and bringing him down hard. An unbearable weight pressed Duo against the concrete. Hands caught his chained wrists, forcing them over his head.

"You're mine now, pretty boy. Learn to love it."

"No!" Duo struggled but Urqhart was too big and too heavy.

Stop fighting. This is stupid. He'll only hurt you more.

But all Duo could think about was Heero and how beautiful lovemaking had been between them. This -- this. . . NO!

He tried to use the shackles to hit Urqhart and got a vicious backhand across the face for his troubles. After that, he lay still, trying to find a few shreds of strength remaining for one final, desperate resistance while Urqhart, panting with eagerness, ripped open his shirt.

Duo closed his eyes.

"Tears?" came Urqhart's triumphant growl. "That's what I like to see."

"I'll kill you," whispered Duo, "I swear to God I'll kill..."

The rest was lost as Urqhart's cruel mouth came down on his.

Suddenly, the man's suffocating weight was gone. Duo lay, gasping, Urqhart's surprised howl echoing in his head. Through swimming eyes, he saw another silhouette loom over him.

Heero!

Oh, god, was it really him? Head spinning, heart pounding until he thought it would burst, Duo stared up at the familiar face.

Heero dropped to one knee beside him. Duo heard a slow, steady stream of cursing from the normally taciturn boy. His wrists were suddenly free of the shackles and he was pulled up and held fast against that slim, hard body.

"W--what took you?" he whispered against Heero's chest.

Then the shakes started again. Heero kept tight hold of him, getting him off the floor.

"Can you walk?"

"I -- uh-huh." Speech was impossible through chattering teeth. He tried ineffectually to button his shirt, but he couldn't even grasp the few buttons that had survived Urqhart's savaging.

Urqhart.

He looked down. The big man lay, face to the floor, a knife protruding from the back of his skull.

"Whoa," Duo gulped. "Guess you showed him!"

"If I'd had more time, I'd have torn out his guts," replied Heero, matter-of-fact. He caught Duo's face with gentle fingertips, looking deep into Duo's eyes. "We've gotta go."

Duo nodded, stumbling after the dark-haired Preventer. Outside, two bodies lay sprawled across the corridor, blood spreading across the floor. Randall and someone else. Curiously, Duo felt nothing seeing his tormenters dead.

Heero, with unexpected patience, took his hand. "C'mon, Duo."

Giving himself a little shake, swallowing nausea, he nodded. Heero wrapped Duo's shaking fingers around something cold and hard. A gun.

He followed Heero down the corridor. There were more dead men along the way -- a lot of them. Shit! Carnage, thy name is Yuy! He stared at the back of his deliverer's head in shock. An alarm was shrieking.

"Look sharp!"

Duo's heartbeat started racing again. Fingers tightened around the cold steel of his weapon. Heero ran, a gun in each hand. Ahead, a door burst open. The room exploded in fire and noise.

Shinigami took over then. The pain and fear vanished as if they had never existed. It was time to kill and if there was one thing Duo did better than anything else in the world... He narrowed his focus to grey uniforms, feeling the recoil as he fired, the sound of the shots lost in the screaming of the alarms, the shouts and other gunfire.

Suddenly, they were free of the tunnels and out under the dome. Stars were icy bits of light above them and the dome's uppermost struts were touched with gold. It was almost morning.

"We have to destroy that thing," Heero said, pulling Duo into the shelter of some steel bins.

Duo blinked. He'd almost forgotten the Gundam.

"Better idea," he croaked. "Let's steal the fucker."

Heero's head turned sharply. Eyes fixed, narrowed, on Duo's face.

"I know I could pilot it. I'll bet -- I'll bet it needs a gunner, though."

"We'll see who pilots." Heero grinned. Behind them, men erupted from the tunnels and something zinged past Duo's head.

The two boys ran. Ladders hung from the belly of the beast, swaying gently in the air currents -- for maintenance crews, most likely.

Hoping devoutly that the suit was in working shape, Duo climbed the swaying ladder after Heero. At the top, the other boy reached down to haul him up through the hatch. Duo went sprawling, breathless, seeing spots.

Heero slammed shut the hatch and locked it.

"First thing -- disable any land control," he muttered and vanished up another hatch.

Duo followed, emerging into a large cockpit. Heero was bent over the controls, typing furiously at the keyboard. Duo lurched to the pilot's seat and fell into it. He hit the power and, to his relief, felt the reactors purr to life. Activating the viewscreens, he saw men gathering around the suit, guns aimed at it -- fools. More seriously, however, more men were running for the Leos and Tauruses.

"There!" Heero said. "Overridden."

"That's what I was waiting to hear," muttered Shinigami, and hit the thrusters.

A tremendous roar filled the cockpit. Heero yelped and stumbled back as the great machine shook.

"Sit down!" Duo ordered, snapping on the seat-belt. "This is gonna be rough."

Heero sat heavily in the gunner's chair. "Can you figure it out?"

"Ptah!" Duo retorted scornfully. "They haven't built a mobile suit yet that I can't pilot. HOLD ON!"

There was a moment's deadly pressure as they rose swiftly, smashing through the dome, leaving disaster in their wake. Gravity hauled at his aching body and everything dimmed. Then the grav-unit kicked in. Gasping, he straightened, seizing the controls in either hand.

"Where to?" he asked as the planet fell away beneath them.

"Get to the other side," Heero replied. "Noin should be on Mars Station 9 by now."

"Yes, sir!" Duo peered at the controls. "What does this do?"

"DUO!"

The suit shook again and there was a great crashing and groaning.

"Hey!" You can re-arrange the arms! Cool!"

Outside, the massive appendages were curling up, folding around the body. Two of them remained extended, beam cannons at the end of each.

"Boy, is this thing awesome!" Duo sent it on a spin and there was another strangled comment from his gunner. Then, ahead, he saw three blips rising up to block their orbit. "Okay, Heero! You're on!"

Nuts. Crazy as a loon. Suicidal. Heero absently ran through every adjective he could think of that applied to Duo. Even as he thought of them however, other adjectives presented themselves: strong, brave, selfless -- lovable. Infinitely, totally lovable.

The sight of his elfin lover struggling helplessly under Urqhart was enough to make him ill, even now. Heero looked over at the slim form in the pilot's seat. Duo's braid was unraveling. Long tendrils of hair fell to frame that pale, bruised face. The boy turned his head and grinned.

"Eyes on the prize, Hee-chan!" he reminded his gunner.

"They are!" Heero couldn't help grinning back. Then Duo took them on a roll and brought them around to face the advancing mobile suits.

It would take the cannons a minute to charge. Heero glanced across his board and found some armor-piercing guns. He lined them up and fired.

His board redlined. He cursed. The guns weren't calibrated, damn it!

"HEERO?"

"Relax. Just take me a minute."

"Sheesh. Do I have to do everything?"

There! Heero grinned without mirth and fired again. This time, the shells streaked out in a nice, straight line and the nearest Taurus became a mini-nova.

"Yee-ha!" approved Duo. "Two o'clock!"

"I see 'em, damn it. Pay attention to your job!"

"Oh, relax, Heero. Anyone ever tell you you're too uptight?"

"Yes. You. Frequently. Get this thing around!"

"Back-seat driver!" But Duo obeyed, whistling tunelessly under his breath as he maneuvered the suit into place.

The cannons were charged.

"Hey! The suits are in front of -- oh!"

Both cannons fired. The board erupted in flashing red and yellow again, but Heero ignored it. On the planet's surface there was a brilliant explosion.

"That takes care of their munitions factory," growled Heero.

The Gundam rocked violently. Duo swore. "Heero?"

"I'm on 'em!"

The other Tauruses and Leos went up in satisfying flowers of incandescence.

"Wow. That's it?" Duo sounded disappointed, sagging back in his chair. "Shit."

Heero unbuckled his harness and came to stand behind the pilot's seat. He put his arms around Duo and kissed the top of his head. Mars was a rusty ball beneath them now, bright against points of light both natural and man-made.

"Do we have to report to Noin?" asked Duo wistfully. "Couldn't we just keep goin'?"

"I wish," Heero replied and meant it. "But. . ."

"Duty calls," agreed Duo with a sigh. "Okie dokie. Which of these orbiting cans is Mars Station 9?"

Duo leapt down from the Arachna's small shuttle. The bay was ice-cold; the sound of the station's outer doors crashing shut sent percussive echoes through the cavernous space. Heero landed beside him as a group of soldiers headed in their direction. Just beyond the station, the Gundam waited for the Preventers to take it over.

Exhilarated, Duo turned to Heero. "Dude! That was so awesome!"

Heero laughed aloud and slid an arm around Duo, pulling him close. "Only you," he said, "would think it was fun."

"Didn't you? C'mon, Heero! To feel that kind of power under your hands again? To own space, even if just for a few minutes?"

"It was a job. We did it. Sometimes, Duo..."

But there was no censor in the deep voice, only affection. Duo tried to school his features to mimic the other's calm acceptance of what had been an enormous rush, but he couldn't do it. Adrenalin sang in Duo's veins. He felt as if he was walking a couple inches off the ground.

"Lieutenant Yuy..." The soldiers stopped. Saluted. More were flooding into the bay, heading for their shuttles, paying the two young men no heed.

"Lieutenant?" Duo stopped, forcing Heero to do the same. "You're a Lieutenant? Why the hell didn't you say so?"

Heero was a lieutenant. Shit.

He looked into the other's face, saw a small, embarrassed grin. Heero's arm tightened around him.

"And wonder if you only love me for my rank?"

"Oh, puhleeeze...." Duo felt his face heat.

A Preventer officer approached. "Nice work, sir! Lieutenant Une is waiting to debrief you." His eyes slid from Heero to Duo who was pressed against the Japanese youth's side. "Follow me."

"You're bouncing," hissed Heero as they fell in behind the soldiers.

"I always bounce when I'm happy."

"You're happy?"

"Hell, yeah. Ain't you?"

"Yeah." Another squeeze, then they moved apart, passing through the wide doors of the bay and into the warren of corridors and rooms that was Mars Station 9. Heero was a major. Shit.

The station was filled with Preventers. Everywhere Duo looked was a buff uniform, spit-and-polish. Even Heero seemed to be walking a little straighter. They were no longer touching, but Duo didn't mind. Plenty of time for that later.

The corridor widened into a broad concourse. Duo saw Une, surrounded by soldiers. Beside her was Lucrezia Noin. And behind her...

Quatre.

Duo's heart skidded and crashed. His gut knotted. Heero was moving ahead, walking faster. Duo saw the Maganac, Rashid among them, surrounding their precious prince. Heero's prince.

Oh, God.

He watched Quatre run forward, watched the beautiful little blonde's arms come up around Heero's neck -- saw Heero's arms go around Quatre. The image blurred. Then there were soldiers between them, shunting Duo off to the left, away from the tight knot of Maganac surrounding Quatre and the person Duo loved.

Belatedly, he stopped, digging in his heels when they would force him to move on.

"Wait a minute! Where are you taking me?"

"This way, Mr. Maxwell."

"I'm with him!"

But "him" was lost from sight in the shifting crowd of soldiers and Duo was completely surrounded now. Heart hammering painfully, adrenalin once more poured into his veins.

"Please come with us, Mr. Maxwell. We have orders to..."

"Fuck your orders!" Duo was wildly angry. "Let me go!"

There were more soldiers. Heads turned. Another group joined his escort. This wasn't happening. This couldn't be happening! Duo watched leather-gloved hands go to sidearms and forced himself to calm.

"Look -- there's been some mistake," he tried again.

They left the concourse, going through a door that said "Station Security: No Admittance." The walls were grey-green. Prison green. He knew suddenly what they intended for him and this time, he did try to run.

He hit out, kicking -- forced an opening in the patrol that hemmed him in. They were on him at once, bodies piling on top of him, sending him to the floor hard. Reality greyed. Hands on his tattered, blood-stained shirt hauled him up again, dragging him forward. He tasted copper and there was a roaring in his ears. His sprained shoulder hurt like hell.

They turned into a gate. Through the tall windows, he saw a small transport, "SCI" painted on its side.

He was going back.

No, he thought. There were crossed communications somewhere. There had to be! Any minute now Heero would come running down the hall, shouting at the soldiers to let Duo go. He would grab Duo, hug him, ask him if he was all right....

But now, even in his imagination, the arms Duo saw wrapped around Heero were Quatre's. The hair Heero kissed was gold. He couldn't swallow past the lump in his throat, stumbling forward into the jet bridge, feeling the icy touch of space just beyond its thin walls, and then on into the small, cramped transport.

Stunned, he didn't resist when they locked a wrist into the shackle and chain bolted to the bench beside him.

"Who's in charge?" he demanded, but they didn't answer, leaving him alone in the compartment.

He tugged furiously at the chain. It didn't give. He fell back on the bench, staring blankly at the wall opposite him. There was another bench there, chains and shackles bolted at intervals along it. His mind spun in useless circles.

Footsteps echoed on steel decking. Someone was coming. Duo straightened.

It would Heero. It had to be Heero -- come to say it was all mistake, just like Duo thought, and to tell them to let . . .

Noin.

Duo ran a tongue over dry lips. "Noin? What the hell?"

She stood, looking down at him. He saw something flash in her eyes and her mouth tightened.

"I did what you said! I even brought you a fuckin' Gundam!" Duo tried to keep the anguish out of his voice -- and failed. "Why this?"

The pretty young officer said something under her breath. "You're still a prisoner, Duo. Don't worry. We've secured the prison complex. You'll be safe."

"I don't want to be safe!" he burst out. He jumped to his feet, only to come up short against the chain. Off balance, he fell to the floor, twisting his wrist, gasping, his dignity in tatters. "I just want you to keep your word, damn it!"

"We will."

"What the fuck are you talking about?" he raged. "What the hell is this?"

He shook his shackled wrist at her and struggled gracelessly back to his seat.

"The deal was a reduced sentence, not outright commutation."

"But it wasn't a fair trial! Jesus! Noin! You know that! Heero said you knew that!"

"Be patient, Duo. We'll keep our part of the bargain, but in the meantime, we're constrained by the law to return you."

He couldn't speak, could only stare up at her. His chest hurt. "Noin, let me talk to Heero."

"Heero's busy."

"Yeah." Duo laughed then, a bitter, ragged sound. "Yeah, I'll bet he is. Well, fuck him! Fuck all of you!"

"Duo..." The crisp professionalism was gone. Her eyes were filled with regret. "Look, I know it isn't fair..."

"Shut the fuck up, Noin. Just get the hell out of here. Leave me alone!" The exhilaration of battle was gone as if it had never been. Everything hurt, his heart worst of all.

"Duo..."

"LEAVE ME ALONE!"

Noin spun around and strode from the compartment. Through the briefly opened door, Duo saw more soldiers. Then it closed and he was alone.

Fucked over again. Jesus H. Christ. He never learned, did he? He was stupid. That was it. Just fucking stupid. Well, never again. Never. Ever. Again.

He sagged back against the wall, the metal cold through his thin shirt. His vision blurred. He saw Heero again, wrapped in Quatre's arms. Oh, God. Not this -- this deja vu from hell.

"Heero," he whispered into the chill. He felt something hot and wet slide down his cheek. His throat ached. His chest felt impossibly tight. Maybe he was having a heart attack.

Gradually, adrenalin receded to leave Duo exhausted and hurting. Slowly, like an old man, he pulled his legs up under him, wrapping his free arm around his knees and pulling them close. He blinked back his tears, trying to swallow. He would not cry, damn it! Not for that bastard. Not for these people who had once been his comrades and who now had no problem throwing him back into the trash.

He pictured Heero and Quatre, arms around each other, laughing at him, at his gullibility, his trust. Oh, shit. Why did it have to hurt so damn much? Every single time it was like someone twisting a blunt knife in his gut.

No. He should look at this another way. It had been fun. A real hoot. What did he care about love? It never lasted. They died or they left you. Grab your fun while you can!

Why, Heero? What did I ever do to you that was so terrible?

Duo drew breath after shaking breath, trying to restore his own equilibrium, trying not to see the little knot of Maganac in the sea of soldiers, Quatre wrapped, precious and cherished, in Heero's arms.

Lying down, curling up tightly on the bench, Duo pressed his face into his arms. The tears came and this time he didn't try to stop them.

"This is insane!" Heero met Une's glare with cold determination.

"He's perfectly safe," Noin interjected. She looked across the desk at her two officers. There were tired lines etched around her mouth. "The place is ours, that mobile suit factory so much smoking metal. Marcel Anderson's under arrest and if Relena thinks she can smooth things over for Stella. . ." Noin's voice trailed off, grim. "Don't worry. We're going to keep Duo under guard and in solitary confinement. He'll be safe, Heero!"

Solitary confinement? Duo? K'so!

"If he did his job," snapped Une, "there won't be any rebels still running around loose!"

"What? You can't be serious? It wasn't his job to ..."

"Be quiet!"

Noin's voice cracked like a whip. Behind her, Mars glowed, ruddy against the backdrop of stars and orbiting satellites. The Preventers had commandeered the station manager's office as temporary field headquarters Heero watched a ship streak away, curving around the station's bulk, heading earthward. Was it Quatre's?

"We'll keep him safe, Heero. I promise."

"Not good enough, Noin." He stared back at her until she looked away.

K'so! All he could think about was Duo and his single glimpse of the white, shocked face before Quatre had flung arms around him and pressed a kiss against his startled lips. It had been reflex that made Heero return Quatre's embrace. By the time he'd extricated himself, Duo had vanished.

Back to prison. After everything Duo had done for them.

"Call the transport back," Heero said harshly.

He knew Duo, knew how seeing Quatre and himself together must have cut that fragile self-esteem to pieces. If he had to crawl, he was going to convince Duo that he meant what he'd said. Maybe something of that showed in his face.

"All right," said Noin, picking up the phone.

"Idiot," snorted Une.

Heero left them, not even asking for permission. No one stopped him as he strode down the concourse. A line of shackled rebels passed. He heard someone swear. Then he had to stop, standing in the middle of traffic, waiting for the mists of rage to clear his vision, dimly marveling at the intensity of his emotion.

It was the claxion that dragged him back to reality. Heero ignored the men and women passing, staring at him. He heard the loudspeaker. The prison transport had returned and was in dock.

At the door to the security gate, they tried to stop him. Heero had two of the soldiers out cold on the floor and had wrestled a gun away from the third before someone shouted to leave him alone. He pushed past them to the jetbridge.

"Give me those," he snapped, relinquishing the firearm to a startled guard. The man took it and, with another astonished blink, unhooked the handcuffs from his belt and handed them to Heero. A glare, and the man moved hastily aside.

More soldiers came to meet Heero at the end of the jetbridge. The transport door swung open. Noin had already contacted them and they let him pass without protest.

The compartment was empty except for its single prisoner. Heero stopped just inside the doorway, suddenly, unaccountably nervous.

Duo was huddled on a narrow bench along one wall, apparently asleep. A thin hand hung over the side, wrist wrapped in steel. His ruin of a shirt glistened with fresh blood.

Damn them! They hadn't even bothered to treat his wounds! Heero started toward Duo. The other boy slowly lifted his head from his arm.

"We're back?" he asked dully, red-rimmed eyes confused with sleep. Then they focused. Duo's mouth tightened. Slowly, he sat up. His movements were listless, gaze bleak. He kept trying to hold his shirt closed with his free hand. Heero wrenched his gaze from Duo's scraped, raw knuckles.

"Why are you here?" Duo asked.

Heero's tongue seemed stuck to the roof of his mouth. How the hell had he ever thought Quatre was more beautiful? Even bruised and pale, eyes swollen from weeping, Duo took Heero's breath away. Regret was like ash in Heero's mouth for the lost time and all his wrong choices.

"Belated streak of conscience?" Duo asked finally. "Come to tell me that you've changed your mind? That you're going back to Prince Charming? Wham, bam, thank you, ma'am?"

His voice was so soft, Heero could barely him. The emptiness in that gaze was awful. Stung by the bitterness he heard, Heero said, "Shut up, Duo."

He expected some rise then, some flare of the old fire, but Duo obediently shut up, drew his knees to his chest, and turned his head away, blinking rapidly.

Heero bent and unlocked Duo from the chain, replacing the manacle with one of the cuffs. Without a word, Duo lifted the other wrist for like treatment, still not looking at him. Battered lips trembled.

"I don't understand," he whispered. "Didja have to pretend to care about me? Didn't ya think I would help you otherwise? Or do you just like smashing my heart into pulp?"

"Duo..."

"No. Just... just fuckin' cuff me and let's get this over with. P-please?"

Heero, mouth set, locked the other cuff around his own wrist and sat down on the bench. Duo's slender brows drew together, staring at Heero's hand next to his own. Long fingers clenched convulsively.

"What's going on?" he asked, not taking his eyes off the steel that joined them. "Where's Quatre? What is this? Some kind of weird joke?"

"I'm going back with you. I don't know where Quatre is."

"B-back with me? Why?"

Heero wished the other boy would look at him.

"Because I love you and because I'm going to protect you."

Duo laughed, a ghost of sound and filled with pain. "Right. And who will protect me against you?"

"No one, I guess."

That brought those brilliant eyes around to Heero's face at last. "W-wait a minute. Did you... d-did you say you -- you love me?"

"I love you."

Duo's eyes closed. "Not finished with the evisceration yet, huh?"

Dark eyelashes sparkled, wet, against the high, graceful cheekbones. Heero, very gently, barely touching, kissed Duo's lips. There was a small sound of anguish and that mouth opened for him, kissing him back with something akin to desperation. Heero tasted salt. He drew back.

Duo was crying.

His own throat tight, Heero pulled the shivering body against him, careful of all the hurts. He clasped Duo's shackled hand in his own. The slim fingers that twined around his were so cold.

Then Duo shifted around to bury his face in Heero's shoulder. Heero kissed the messy tangle of that long hair. The boy slumped, heavy and limp against him. The fingers in his relaxed, beginning to warm.

"Duo..."

"I don't care," came the tired voice, breath warm against Heero's neck. "I don't care what's going to happen. Just as long as here, right now, you're holding me."

Heero's heart ached at the resignation he heard. For the first time, he realized that the transport was moving.

"You're hurt." Heero said unnecessarily, adjusting his arm around Duo, seeing the smear of blood on his own sleeve.

"Yes," Duo agreed, voice a thread. "I am."

"I love you." Heero wished he was better at words. "I know you don't believe me, but you will."

He felt Duo's lips against his neck, a feather touch, then boy straightened. Violet eyes held Heero's, very clear, almost child-like in the openness of that gaze. Everything was there for Heero to see, all the love, pain and wrenching loneliness in that torn heart. He kissed Duo again, putting everything he felt into it. When he drew away, some of the pain had eased, but not enough. Not nearly enough.

"They're putting me in solitary confinement, you know."

"It's not solitary if I'm there, too."

"You're serious."

"I've never been more serious. I love you. I love you. I love you, and I will keep saying it until you believe me."

Duo looked down at their joined hands. He bit his lip. Heero couldn't take his eyes from the lean curve of his cheek, the saucy, up-tilted nose. Leaning close, Heero brushed wisps of hair from the other boy's damp face.

"I love you." Heero put his mouth against Duo's temple. "Love you, love you, love you..."

Then he heard what he longed to hear -- that soft, rich chuckle.

"You're an asshole."

"Mmm-hmmm.."

Duo's arm stole around Heero. He tilted his face, lips parting.

Never one to miss cues, Heero willingly kissed him again, reveling in Duo's taste, the way the other boy's fingers tightened around the nape of his neck.

"Love you," said Heero, kissing Duo's warm hair.

"Love you," he repeated, dropping a caress on each blue-veined eyelid.

"Love you." With the tip of his tongue, Heero caught the stray tear and wiped it away.

"Love you." He kissed the tip of Duo's nose "Love y..."

"Love you," whispered Duo.

What was this feeling in his chest, wondered Heero, this warmth that reached up and through him, filling him with such fierce exultant joy?

"Promise?" Heero whispered back.

"Yes," Duo replied simply, earnestly. "Cross my heart."